(no subject)

[apocalypsos]

Today's display of airhead stupidity:

Dumbass customer: "Hi, I want to send these toys international to Georgia. It's a country in Eastern Europe ..."
Me: "I know where Georgia is." (I also know it's in Southwest Asia, but why argue?)
DC: (waaaaaay too surprised and delighted) "Oh!"

DC asks a question about pricing I don't know, so I pass her off to Bosslady, who hears: "Hi, I want to send these toys international to Georgia. It's a country in Eastern Europe ..."

Why, with all of us working for a shipping company, whyever would we learn such a useless skill as geography? Thank you so much, kind lady! *eye roll*

Comments

[lisaofdoom.livejournal.com]

Perhaps she specified the country so you wouldn't think of the state?

[pie-is-good.livejournal.com]

She said international...

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Telling us the bit about the international airbill kind of gave it away. I halfway expected her to whip out an atlas and point. Urgh.

[lisaofdoom.livejournal.com]

I, for one, would rather clarify than risk having my package sent the wrong place. Talking to the employees like they're idiots is uncalled-for, though.

[namey.livejournal.com]

...at Africa?

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be surprised. Especially considering how many people fill out things like "West Africa" and "Jerusalem" in the box marked "Country".

[shinga.livejournal.com]

There ARE stupid people working in shipping. Like people who insist they can't ship out of country, even though you keep telling them it's New Mexico. :P Glad you're not among those few though. *loves* ;)

[ilanalynn.livejournal.com]

We've got people around here who ship international stuff all the time who still wonder sometimes which state has the abbreviation ON, and can't seem to get Canadian zip codes right even though they see them every day.

[milkshake-b.livejournal.com]

I don't know, this still sounds to me more like defensive intelligence rather than stupidity. I can just imagine this person once running into someone and going, "Hi, I want to send these toys international to Georgia..." and getting told, in some manner of irritating way (you can imagine scathing, or bewildered, or bored, or whatever), "Georgia isn't international, it's within the states."

It only takes once.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

That's true, although repeating exactly what she'd said to me to Bosslady (who'd only been standing a few feet away at the time) made me wonder.

[septembergrrl.livejournal.com]

I always start over when I'm talking to a new customer service person. Seems like it saves time and avoids confusion.

I agree this sounds more like defensive intelligence than stupidity, but it also sounds like she was kind of snotty about it. Sorry.

[stumpsforhands.livejournal.com]

How can you fault the customer for assuming a stranger was an idiot (regardless of their job)? It's the American way!

[natgel.livejournal.com]

Heh... I wonder what'll happen if she actually tries to GET to Georgia...

[james-translate.livejournal.com]

For her defence, I suspect that she's told people before you that she had to send something to Georgia and was met with a "You don't need INTERNATIONAL packing for that".

Lack of geography is more widely spread than its opposite.

What shipping company are you working for that actually makes sure that their employees are qualified, if you don't mind me asking? Because that'd be worth knowing for future shipping :)